Let’s talk Liberia – Part Three: Going to the World Urban Forum

On the 7th February we’ll be attending the World Urban Forum with two young men from the Westpoint slum in Liberia, one of which has completed the vocational training course we offer in the community. They will be participating in networking events and collecting data to influence change, and essentially find out how change can come from young people when they are given the opportunity. In our final interview with Alessandra we find out the importance of attending this event.

Y Care International will be represented at the upcoming World Urban Forum. Why are we attending? Why is this event important on the global stage? What is Y Care International hoping to gain as a result and what will it mean for our work going forward? Can you provide some details behind why YMCA Liberia is attending?

Y Care International has been attending since 2012 because we see what a great opportunity this is for advocacy, learning and networking, especially for our young representatives. This is a very important event on the global stage because it is where all the decisions on urban development are made. This year the conference will focus on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda that has been adopted by the UN.

We are hoping to showcase our work with young people and position them as agents of change, which is why it is so important that we are being represented by some of the young people we work with in Liberia. We also want to strengthen our networks and capacity with work in collaboration with other groups and hopefully gain some inspiration from other organisations in attendance. However, allowing slum dwellers to speak up about the issues affecting them and how effective urban planning will help to solve these issues.